Don't @ Me

 I voted on Friday. I knew who I would vote for in this election on November 9, 2016. That answer was anything, anyone other than that orange abomination of humanity. I knew he was a narcissist, I knew he was a bigot, a misogynist, a racist, and a bully. I knew he was corrupt, greedy, vengeful, and stupid. I knew this was going to be a disaster and that he was going to hurt a lot of people. I didn't imagine what a disaster it would be. 

I forgave my friends/family that voted for him in 2016. I figured it was rooted in some sort of ignorance or an inability to see that the election was bigger than politics. At least I hoped it was ignorance. I am getting a sense that it was more. So, I must say this. If you vote for him again, after all of this, I no longer want you in my life. Let's see if I can explain why and do so succinctly because I honestly don't think you deserve an explanation. However, given I cared for and loved you, I want to try.

I can think of only three reasons that someone could vote for him again:

1. Extreme Ignorance

2. Selfishness and Privilege

3. You are a Monster

Point 1 - I don't know if I really buy this. If you are ignorant as to what is going on in the country right now, you literally must have been living under a rock. Anyone who tries to claim ignorance more likely falls into the second bucket.

Point 2 - I think most of you probably fall here. You will vote for him because this election will literally have no effect on you or your personal life, and you are willing to vote for him because of Supreme Court Justices or Abortion (despite the fact I'd be willing to bet he's supported a few abortions in his lifetime) or Tax Cuts or WHATEVER. Good for you. Nice that you have such privilege that you feel like you can make decisions based on politics when so many people have gotten killed and hurt because of this man.

• 230,000+ Americans are dead because of his mismanagement of COVID-19. Many of them did not get to see their loved ones and were not able to hold proper funerals. Many more continue to put their lives at risk to prevent further death. Their lives matter. 
• Nothing has been done about the bounties placed on the heads of US Soliders by Russia. In fact the President openly disdains those who have chosen to serve their country. Their lives and their sacrifices matter.
• My black male friends have told me about wearing bowties or glasses in order to appear less threatening to police because they fear for their lives; they fear the knee of the law on their necks as they beg for their lives while this administration can't even bring forth the WORDS to condemn white supremacy. Their lives matter. Their livelihoods matter as they continue to experience the disproportionate negative outcomes of the abomination of slavery by a society built on a racist foundation - including in education, housing, healthcare, wealth, voting, criminal justice, etc.
• My LGBTQ friends who just want to be who they are and love who they love. Their love matters and their lives matter. 
• The 500+ children that have been ripped from their parents and put into cages, who have essentially become orphans under US Care. The many others who have died in these cages due to lack of adequate medical care. Their lives matter and their families matter.
• The peaceful demonstrators trying to stand up and fight for humanity and against injustice being tear gassed, being thrown into unmarked cars and kidnapped, being shot and killed while TERRORIST organizations such as white supremacist extremest (WSE) groups go unchecked by this administration. Their lives and their voices matter.

I could go on and on and on, but again, I'm not trying to convince you. The last thing I will touch on here is abortion, and if you are so myopic as to make this your sole issue, that's on you. Don't vote for Joe Biden, then. If a vote for Joe Biden means a vote for abortion, then I would counter that a vote for that orange maniac is a vote for racism, xenophobia, sexism, vitriol, and hatred. Also, I would like to add that you are not pro-life. You are pro-birth, because what is life if you don't care for it once it exits the womb? In this country, where we have the largest gap between the wealthy and the poor, where we can't care for our sick, or open our borders to those who suffer and need refuge, or love other human beings, where we are literally burning the planet down because of greed and self-interest? What kind of life is that?

Point 3 - I really don't want to think any of you fall here. I don't. I really just hope you have unchecked privilege or you are really that stupid. However, I can not dismiss this possibility. He has brought out the worst in us and fueled the worst in us. Maybe he is just giving you permission to be your true self, and that really you are a much more terrible person than you were willing to admit in public. You are a hypocrite, and I don't need that hate in my life.

Again, I am not telling you who to vote for. I am giving myself permission to remove the people from my life that are so full of hate or so selfish that they may be acting as a poison to my worldview of what is most fair, what is most right, and what is most compassionate for my fellow human beings. I wish you the best in life; I just can't have you in mine.